Are They Lazy, or Arrogant?

January 25, 2021

 

I heard an actor in a recent TV episode pronounce the name of the town Wilkes Barre, PA as Wilkes-Bar. It was unsettling because, in the show, he lived near there, and should have known how to pronounce it (Wilks Berry or Berra).

I’ve mentioned before that Hollywood has shown ignorance about any region in the U.S. that isn’t LA. Louisiana has parishes, not counties; not all southern accents sound the same; if water is running in the gutters in Fargo, ND in January, the residents won’t be bundled up in parkas—it would be too warm for that.

So I that wish writers and actors would try to make the audience feel like they’re really interested in, and knowledgeable, about the region they’re depicting.